Customer Reviews

Clayman (Dlx)

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

"Clayman" is, simply put, an indescribable achievement in the metal genre, making much of what preceded it sound downright obsolete. It's as melodic as the best classic metal, as precisely played as the best thrash metal, and almost as intense as the best death metal. In other words, it's sort of like
Iron Maiden meets Megadeth meets Carcass. With musicianship and creativity to spare, In Flames were at the top of their game with "Clayman."

As "Clayman" amply demonstrates, In Flames are one of the most talented metal bands walking the Earth today. Anders Frieden is a terrific vocalist, easily one of the best in metal. He delivers his throat-ripping screams with the utmost intensity, without abandoning the melodic sensibility that defines In Flames's sound. There's some diversity to be found in Anders's performance as well: the foreboding near-whispher on the opening "Bullet Ride," and "Only for the Weak," the clean singing on "Square Nothing." The band behind him, led by guitar hero Jesper Stromblad, is equally astounding. They tear through a constant succession of razor-sharp riffs, hard-driving guitar harmonies and complex rhythms, and they make it look easy. Many bands wouldn't even attempt the song structures that In Flames pull off routinely.

Above all, "Clayman" is a triumph of songwriting. This album has some of THE best melodies I've ever heard, in any genre. More importantly, though, In Flames don't just try to coast on their impressive melodies. On almost every song, the band deftly mixes foot-tapping catchiness and head-banging heaviness. One minute they can seduce you with an addictive melody or guitar harmony, the next they can aim straight for the jugular with a volley of heavy riffs and harsh shouts. It works the other way, too: In Flames know exactly when to take a break from heaviness and lighten things up a bit. They're intent on not sticking with the same sound for too long, giving the listener a nice variety to chew on.

Although the songs on "Clayman" are only about four minutes long on average, most contain more energy and chops than many entire albums. The masterpieces come early and often on this album. "Bullet Ride" features some whispered vocals and acoustic guitars in the verses, but it's just a setup for the anthemic and heavy chorus. "Pinball Map" starts out with machine-gun riffing that sets a new standard for catchiness before giving way to an equally memorable melody. "...As the Future Repeats Today" is just plain mesmerizing, with time signatures and guitar harmonies that will slay even the most discriminating metalheads. "Square Nothing" starts out as a soft, acoustic ballad, but then stops on a dime and turns on the heaviness out of nowhere. "Brush the Dust Away" is another classic, with ripping guitars, a chugging bassline, and some wildly infectious grooves.

What's most impressive about "Clayman" is that I have to fight really hard to keep myself from commenting on every single song (wouldn't want to put any readers to sleep). Pretty much everything here is no less than great. I think "Clayman" is definite improvement from its predecessor "Colony," and maybe even better than "Whoracle" and "The Jester Race." But ranking this album in the In Flames catalogue is really beside the point. All you need to know is that "Clayman" is brilliant in every sense of the word. If you don't have it yet, what are you waiting for?

After the release of "Colony" and subsequently having it grow on me like a nasty strain of the Ebola virus, I became an In Flames freak and tracked every trace of albums I could find by the band. Now, speaking as one who has heard every bit of their material, I'm telling you to seek out "Clayman" and buy it wherever you see it.

"Colony" was a very innovative and mature work from a damn near revolutionary band last year, containing insanely catchy grooves from one of my all-time favorite guitarists, Jesper Stromblad. Anders Friden, formerly of Dark Tranquility before joining In Flames for "Whoracle," has one of the most interesting voices in metal today - just listen to the tracks "Only For the Weak" and bruising opener "Bullet Ride" to understand what I'm talking about. His mellower, almost spoken-word softer passages are haunting in a quietly brooding way, but when the choruses crescendo, get ready for a demonic vocal assault, just as you'll recognize from "Colony." Friden's voice hasn't changed a bit - it's just gotten better for this album. So no worries about commercial sellouts, catering to the radio or MTV or letting any fans down whatsoever.

Overall, there's really not a bad song to be found on "Clayman," just as with "Colony." Highlughts include "Bullet Ride," "Only for the Weak," "Swim," and the title track. Fans of the band's previous effort will be delighted to hear that nothing has changed with the band's sound; as the first few seconds of "Bullet Ride" will alleviate any fears of In Flames going the Paradise Lost path and turning into Depeche Mode incarnate. (Though there IS a short segment of a techno-ish drum machine in "Bullet Ride" which is really not needed, but believe me, this album is so good I have no room to complain.)

Just as I said with "Colony" - if you're a metal fan, whether it's black metal, death, grind, hardcore, thrash, whatever you're into - "Clayman" will satisfy any expectations you have for it. Hail to In Flames!

I'm amused at how opinions vary wildly about this album. It might be sellout c'rap or an amazing metal album. Perhaps it's a blunt example of In Flames' music or it could be their best. So, let's add my opinion to the mix for fun. In terms of production and intensity, _Clayman_ is In Flames' best album. Although I prefer _Whoracle_ for its diversity and epic flavor, _Clayman_ offers a persistent intensity that is unrivaled by anything in their catalogue.

To this I would credit the production... which is a key accessory to the aggressive songwriting, of course. This album just sounds huge and in-your-face, and it never suffers from the occasionally sloppy mixing of _Colony_ (an otherwise well-recorded album) or the tinny audio from earlier releases. Anders Friden's voice is laden with effects (multitracking and distortion) which enhances its power. His awkward growl from earlier albums has been replaced with his bestial, feral scream, and this is all for the better. His clean vocals, which appear abundantly, are not strong but when confined to an eerie whisper they can be powerful. The guitars are thick and heavy, the drums are pummeling, and even the bass stands out with a fat rumble (worth mentioning since 99% of metal lacks bass presence).

Also to the album's benefit is the relentless power through every track, with no song failing to be memorable - and consistently high song quality is a boon to any record. "Bullet Ride" absolutely slaughters with its titanic lead riff, steady build-up through the verses, and crushing chorus; at the other end of the CD, "Another Day in Quicksand" is a riff heavy beast. Holding the middle is the huge title track, led by an incredible guitar harmony and the best of Friden's vocals. "Suburban Me"'s guitar solos top ANY In Flames song to date -- desperate and melodic. "Pinball Map" fuses classic melodic In Flames riffing with scattershot, odd-time riffs and a rare, effective cleanly-sung chorus.

Some of the most interesting songs are where the band experiments with some production effects. "Square Nothing" builds in its early stages with muffled drum sounds and staccato guitar chugging. It later breaks out into a rapid-fire guitar rhythm that culminates with a very emotional chorus. A programmed drum loop appears during the final verse of "Bullet Ride" for an effective change of texture. "Only for the Weak" has a anthemic melody backed by a synthesizer; synthesizers also appears for a starry, winding atmosphere on "Satellites and Astronauts" and snaky blurbs on "Clay Man".

After _Clayman_, In Flames arguably went downhill but up to this point they proved to be one of the best metal bands to come out of the 90s. So buy it up and enjoy.

This album is great from start to finish, it has some of the koolest guitar work ever.
The previous reviewer, Brian Lomas, is a fool.
This album does not suck at all.

Ok unlike a lot of death metal bands where the only difference from one song to the next is the time. In Flames set the standards for a good death metal band. On this cd you can tell distinctavly which song is which. Some of the best tracks are Pinball Map, Only for the weak, and Clayman. There is not one miss song on the album. They are all sure fire hits. Jesper has really good guitar riffs while anders blows your mind away with his powerful convinceing vocals.

If you get this album there is no way in hell you can be disappointed.

This is the greatest metal cd ever created! I'm not one to give out 5 star ratings, but this has been my favorite cd for four years running. If you like melodic metal, this is the pinnacle achievement of the genre. Amazing guitar harmonies, driving choruses, and Ander's vocals at their best. Clayman never fails to pump me up and give me chills. Every track is amazing, and is possibly the most accessible metal cd for getting into the "melodic metal" genre. If you like metal or need a reason to like metal, buy Clayman.

In Flames have proved with Clayman that they are one of the best metal bands around.Some call this "Melodic Death",but aside from Anders Friden's screaming vocals,this isn't very similar to REAL death metal like Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus.I think it is closer to traditional metal with thrash leanings,but that is just my opinion.Anyways,songs like "Clayman" and "Pinball Map" are destined to become metal classics,alongside "Hallowed Be Thy Name" and "The Four Horsemen".Other excellent tracks include "As The Future Repeats Today","Bullet Ride",and "Another Day In Quicksand",the latter being my personal favorite,with its black metallish guitars and great chorus.The only flop in this album,to me,is "Satellites And Astronauts",because it becomes too close to a power ballad for my tastes.Jesper Stromblad's solos are electrifying and worth the price of admission alone.Occasionally,In Flames experiment with drum machines,odd electronic sounds,and strange clean vocals,but it is rare enough to avoid becoming a distraction,and it shows just how unique In Flames really are.The song structures are just about perfect,and though I might be wrong in some eyes,I would compare "Clayman" to "Number Of The Beast" easily.In Flames has unwitttingly created a modern day classic.Though "Reroute To Remain" was a disappointing follow up,though still good,do not judge these metal masters on that release.On a final note,to those "extreme only" metalheads,I would recommend "The Jester Race" as an introduction to In Flames,because it displays more elements of Black and Death metal than "Clayman".Regardless,this album is a must own for everyone who claims to enjoy metal.

I feel guilty giving this cd 4 stars. The reson being that In Flames is one of the best bands that has ever been. I'm not kidding. The 4 stars are here only to tell people that this album is the weakest of all the In Flames releases. Notice that weakest does not stand for weak. In fact this album is everything but weak.

Ironically this album posseses a song called "Only for the weak" which is the song that mainly exposed them to a new larger audience. A most brilliant song that due to it's catchiness one finds it popular amongst metalheads.

The opening song "Bullet Ride" is a strong opener to the album. A most powerful song that makes me feel like headbanging straight away. The riffs seem to cut your body when listening to it and then the chorus comes in with a clean guitar and an atmosphere of tranquillity. What a song. "Pinball Map" another highlight of this album has to be the heaviest song here. Don't worry the melodies are still alive and kicking. "Only For The Weak" which was the band's first single from this record is a really good song. Different may I say from the others on this record. It must be due to its chilled rhythm but yet the band manages to impose a need for the listener to go crazy when submitted to its tunes. "Clayman", "As The Future Repeats Today" and "Square Nothing" are my three favoutire songs on this album. Beautiful harmonies that can cause you to lose all other senses.

The rest of the songs on this album cannot be compared to the songs mentioned above unfortunately, and it is because of this that I am forced to give this album 4 stars. However I must add that "Satellites and Austronauts" and "Swim" are two very good songs that even though are not as good as the mentioned songs, they still are way better than the crap that comes out from the Nu Metal scene nowadays, and if you compare it to that crap, any single song from this album is worth the money.

Hail In Flames and their stunning opus 'Clayman'! The Cd that opened my ears to this fabulous band....this is a triumph of songwriting with its titanic melodic thrashing riffs, screaming bestial feral vocals and huge, huge anthemic choruses ...this is a landmark album in the metal genre and easily makes much of what has gone before it redundant.....anyone recall Sounds' Geoff Barton describing an early Diamond Head song as containing more brilliant riffs than the entire Black Sabbath catalogue ? Well, just try listening to 'Heaven & Hell' after 'Clayman' and you get a decent idea of what he was trying to convey....With this, album five into their career, the Gothenburg death-metallers have further refined their unique sound... The entire album is fast, dynamic and breathtakingly exciting. The songs have as much melody as the best 'classic' metal, the duelling twin leads soaring harmonically over the piledriving thrashing riffs. But this is hardly mainstream and it beggars belief that some fans have accused the band of selling out...this was no attempt to leap for the bright lights of MTV ! ...

The opening trio "Bulletride", "Pinball Map" and "Only for the Weak" are surely already classics..."Bulletride" features a bar riff progression that absolutely slaughters after the quiet verse and Anders Friden's throat
ripping sandpaper-edged vocal wails over the thrashing instrumentation like a banshee. "Pinball Map" is similarly volume fuelled and frenetically paced mayhem with searing, slaying guitars, a shatteringly melodic chorus and clean vocal. With its anthemic melody "Only for the Weak" is probably how Bon Jovi would sound if they were a million times heavier. There's even a synth and drum loop passage for added texture that take nothing from the heaviness of the track. Lyrically the themes are personal, painful introspection..." I can't tolerate your sadness, because its me you're drowning.." "Square nothing" opens with gentle arpeggios and whispered vocals full of menace, " for all the times you left me bleeding..", before the coruscating riff jack-hammers in with brain-damaging intensity... "Satellites and astronauts" is similarly structured with its acoustic passages, stunningly plaintive vocal and synth effects. "Swim" reprises the sci-fi epics of previous albums. Musically another highlight, with its beautiful single-note intro motif over crashing riffs and supremely melodic vibrato-infused bridge. With "Suburban Me" and title track "Clayman" complex structures and memorable melodies are again married perfectly. In Flames, the band, have well and truly nailed the essential ingredients in the fine art of building a classic. Apparently there is a limited edition bonus in the shape of a cover of Treat's "World of Promises." Now that I really would like to hear !

This is in my opinion the best performace from Anders. He mixes his higher pitched vocals found prominatly on the newer albums with the classic Melo Death vocals found on earlier albums. There is also some low talking thrown in a few songs, Bullet Ride being one of them.
Musically, while its not their best, it is very good. Similar to the vocals they mix old and new sound on this CD to create a masterpiece. Pounding and yet melodic guitar work is the In Flames trademark. Also, Daniel's drumming on this album is probably his finest hour, a standout for him being Brush the Dust Away.
Stand out tracks overall are:

Bullet Ride
Pinball Map
Square Nothing
Brush the Dust Away

All the songs on here are awesome those are just my favorites. This is a good CD for newcomers because it isnt too much like the old or new and its a great mix.

All in all, this is not only one of my favorite CDs from In Flames, but all time as well.